Closure for containers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OM40 QM,

Nov. 1, 1938. H. P. LEWIS ET AL CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 7, 1938 I N 1938- H. P. LEWIS ET AL 2,135,237

' CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 If E 50 aw rm W a Q 10 lax/a224 5, s w

ATTORNEY I Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

Our invention relates broadly to closures for containers and more particularly to an improved construction of closure for containers, for pastelike or viscous substances.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a construction of insertable member for containers adapted to coact with a closure member engageable on the container for permitting the ejection of paste-like material in a preformed shape.

Another object of our invention is to provide a construction of closure for containers consisting of a plug-like member insertable into the open end of the container and having yieldable portions adapted to open and close with respect to each other under control of the rotatable movement of a coacting member engageable with screw threads on the neck of the container.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a construction-of insert and coacting cap which may be readily applied to a standard construction of container for positively closing the container but permitting the opening of the end of the container for the ejection of contents 25 therefrom and the positive closing of the opening for insuring preservation of the contents of the container.

A further object of our invention is to provide a construction of insertable member and coacting rotatable member which may be readily sold as an accessory to the standard collapsible metallic tube and in which the insertable member has portions which are yieldable with respect to each other in coaction with the rotatable member for permitting the opening of the end of the insertable member or positively closing the end of the insertable member.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a construction of resilient insert adapted to be mounted in the end of a standard collapsible tube and shaped to coact with a screw threaded rotatable member operative to permit the spreading of portions of the resilient insert for ejection of material from the tube or to positively close the tube under cam action between the cap and the resilient insert for the protection of the contents of the tube.

Another object of our invention is to provide a construction of metallic insert adapted to be mounted in the end of a collapsible tube in coaction with a rotatable screw threaded member having an internal annular face complementary to the shaped head of the insert and wherein the insert is in effect formed by a pair of longitudinally extending jaw-like portions adapted to be closed by positive cam action between the complementary faces of the cap and the insert or spread for the ejection of the contents of the container.

A further object of our invention is to provide a construction of container having a slitted discharge orifice including displaceable portions which may be laterally shifted with respect to each other under control of a rotatable member engageable adjacent the end of the tube for opening or positively closing the slitted orifice.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a construction of tubular container having a discharge end provided with a diametrically extending slit dividing the discharge end into relatively displaceable portions whose position is controlled by the movement of a rotatable member engageable about the discharge end of the tube.

Other and further objects of our invention reside in the construction of container and closure therefor as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the closure of our invention applied to a tubular container; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a tubular container having a closure constructed in accordance with our invention and illustrated in elevation wherein the closure may be molded from synthetic material having substantial resiliency; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the closure and container illustrated in Fig. 2 with the closure in closed position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the closure illustrated in open position; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4 showing the relative position of the rotatable member with respect to the insertable member when the contents of the tubular member are being extruded; Fig. 6 is a. side elevational view of the insertable member of substantial resiliency, the member being partially broken away and illustrated in cross section; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the insertable member as it appears when the rotatable member which surrounds the insertable member is moved upwardly and the jaw-like portions of the insertable member are permitted to separate; Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the rotatable. member which controls the opening and closing of the jaws of the'insertable member; Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of a metallic insert for the end of a tubular container and illustrating the relation of the rotatable member thereto when the laws of the insert are closed with respect to each other; Fig. 10 is a view of the insert shownin Fig. 9 with the jaws thereof spread when the retatable member is shifted to its upper limiting position; Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view through the end of the tubular container showing the metallic insert in position in the end thereof and with the rotatable member surrounding the metallic insert in a position for forcing the Jaw portions of the insert to closed position; Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view through the tubular container showing the metallic insert in position with a the laws thereof closed; Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 12 but illustrating the metallic insert in position with the Jaws thereof spread for the extrusion of-the contents of the tubular container; Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line ll-M of Hg. 13 and illustrating the position of the rotatable member with respect to the metallic insert in the course of the process of extruding the contents of the tube; Fig. 15 is a plan view of the rotatable member employed in association with the insertable member for effecting the closing and opening of the jaws of the insertable member; Fig. 16 is a view of a modified form of our invention infwhich the tubular container has an integrally .connected end closure which is diametrically slitted to form displaceable jaw-like portions integral with the walls of the container adapted to be opened or positively closed by movement of the rotatable member surrounding and engaging the jaw-like portions; and Fig. 17 shows a modified form of yieldable insert for insertion in the neck of a container.

Our invention is directed to an improved form of closure particularly adapted for containers in the form of collapsible tubes from which paste-. like material is extruded. We provide an insertable member which may be formed fromsynthetic material of yieldable or resilient characteristic and which is adapted to be inserted in the neck of a tube-like container. The insertable member is provided with a diametrically extending slit adjacent the top thereof substantially dividing the insertable member into portions which may be spread for permitting the ejection of the material. A rotatable member engageable with screw threads on the neck of the container is provided with an annular cam face adapted to coact with the complementary shaped end of the insert whereby yieldable portions of the insert are positively closed after the extrusion of a desired amount of the paste-like material from the tubular container. The insertable member may be formed from metal having yieldable jawlike portions, the closing of which may be controlled by the rotatable member which engages the neck of the tubular container. The insertable device and rotatable member may be supplied as accessories for the standard tubular con tainer or provided as a part of the standard equipment for a standard tubular container. In lieu of the insert formed from either resilient material or from metal, we may form the end closure of our invention integrally with the structure of the tubular container and effect the opening or closing operation of separable portions of the end of the container by movement of the rotatable member engageabie with the end of the 7 container. .We have shown our invention as apillustrated the structure of our invention according to any particular scale and no limitations are intended with respect to size.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character I designates a tubular container of the collapsible metal tube class having a frustoconical end portion 2 terminating in a neck I. The neck 3 isso formed that threads are pressed thereon both externally and internally as represented at 4 for enabling an insertable member to be introduced into the end of the tube and retained in position therein. The insertable member is shown at 6 formed from resilient material havingexternal screw threads 6 thereon engageable with the inwardly pressed internal screwthreadsin the neck 3 of the container. The insertable member I has a laterally extending flange I thereon adapted to abut with the upper peripheral edge 8 of the mouth I when the insertable member is in position in the neck of the tube. The insertable member is provided with a headed end 9 having an overhanging edge portion which is sufficient to retain the rotatable member ll against removal from the end of the rotatable member. The extremity of the insertable member 5 is slitted as at ill to permit theextrusion of the contents of the container through the end of'the insertable member. The insertable member has the extremity thereof between the flange I and the headed end 9 shaped to provide reduced cross sections in the direction of the extremity of the insertable member. A curved external wall II for the insertable member is thus provided for coaction with an annular curved zone interiorly of the rotatable member ll. The extremity of the insertable member 5 is slitted as represented at Ill so that the coaction of the curved annular wall I9 of the rotatable member I with the curved wall ll of insertable member 5 allows the separate portions of the insertable member to be forced intov intimate engagement for closing the end of the tube.

The insertable member 5 is provided with a hollow bore I! which is tapered from the end of the insertable member to the slitted extremity thereof for allowing extrusion of the contents from the container illustrated at 2| through the slitted end l0 when the rotatable member is shifted to a position as illustrated in Fig. 4 for permitting the separable portions of the insertable member to spread for the ejection of the material from the container as represented at 22.

The rotatable member II is provided with a depending annular skirt Ill having internal screw threads It therein engageable with threads 4 on neck 3. The rotatable member II has a knurled finger grip portion II which may be grasped to allow rotation of the rotatable member. The end of the rotatable member I4 is apertured as at II to allow the rotatable member to be wholly engaged over the end of the insertable member 5 when the closure is assembled. The annular zone IQ of rotatable member I is shaped in a form complementary to the curved walls IQ of insertable member 5. A cylindrical recess 20 is provided interiorly of the rotatable member I above the internal screw threads l8 therein for allowing the rotatable member ll to be moved to a lower limiting position engaging flange 1 of the insertable member 5. Various shapes may be imparted to the slitted extremity of the insertable member 5 to preform the paste-like or viscous material as it issues from the end of the insertable member.

'In lieu of the resilient or yieldable insertable member I. we may employ a metallic insert in the neck 3, as represented more particularly in Figs. 9-14. The metallic insert is constructed of substantially the same shape and form as the yieldable insert except that special provision is made for the rendering of the parts of the insert sumciently yieldable to permit ejection of the contents of the container. The metallic insert is represented at 23 having screw threads 24 on the lower portion thereof which extend from one end thereof to the substantially central transverse flange 23. The transverse flange 23 is adapted to rest upon the annular peripheral edge 3 of the screw threaded neck 3. The metallic insert has a pair of longitudinally extending diametrically opposed slots 23 formed therein for imparting yieldability to the upper portion of the insert. The material of the insert is removed at opposite sides thereof as indicated at 21 for insuring greater resiliency or yieldability 0f the upper jaw-like portions of the insert. The upper portion of the metallic insert has the slots 26 therein shaped so that the faces of the slotted sides when forced together establish intimate contact and form a tight joint against the loss of contents of the container. The metallic insert 23 has an inner bore 23 terminating in a rounded inner end as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. The extremity of the metallic insert has a retaining head 30 thereon which includes an overhanging edge providing an abutment for the apertured top ll of rotatable member I. The rotatable member I4 is readily insertable over the headed end 30 of the metallic insert by slight tipping movement and when so positioned is confined against removal by the overhanging peripheral edge 30 at the end of the metallic insertable member. The exterior walls of the metallic insertable member are rounded or curved as indicated at 3| complementary to the annular zone I! interiorly of rotatable member 14. In the positions illustrated in Figs. 9, 11 and 12, the metallic insertable member has the jaws thereof positively clamped in closed position by engagement of internal annular wall I! of rotatable member H with curved wall 3| of the metallic insert 23. In Figs. 13 and 14 we have shown the rotatable member I rotated to a position in which the annular interior zone IQ of rotatable member It allows the Jaws of metallic insert 23 to spread, thereby permitting the ejection of the contents of the container as indicated at 22.

In the forms of our invention heretofore explained, we have pointed out that an insert, either of yieldable material or of metallic ma terial is introduced into the neck 3 of the container. We may, however, utilize the construction illustrated in Fig. 16 in which the slitted end closure is an integral part of the container I. That is to say, the container I connected with the frusto-conical end portion 2 connects to the neck 3 which is integrally connected with the end closure represented at 31. The neck 3 is screw threaded at 32 and slitted at 33 with the slitted portions formed by abutting walls which meet square and true. We. remove diametrically opposite portions of the neck of the tube at 34 in order to secure greater resiliency in the jaw-like slitted portions of the end of the tube. The shaped end 31 terminates in a peripheral retaining means 35 directly on the end of the tube over which the rotatable member I may be slipped by a slight tilting or canting movement to be subsequently retained against removal by the overhanging edge of the peripheral retaining means 33. A shoulder 30 is formed on the neck of the tube providing an abutment and lower limiting stop for the rotatable member N as the rotatable member is screwed downwardly on the neck of the tube. The rotatable member it has the internal annular zone ll thereof directly in contact with the shaped end 31 of the container and by rotation of the rotatable member ll, permits the jaw-like portions of the end of the container to be spread or to be positively closed by the movement'of the coacting annular zone ll against the shaped external wall positions of the end of the container at 31. Thus it will be observed that parts of the container integral with the walls thereof may be directly spread by relieving the confining pressureby the rotatable member I4 and may be positively closed by movement of the coacting rotatable member.

Fig. 1"! illustrates a modified form of yieldable insert which may be employed in the neck of a container. In this construction the upper extremity of the insert contains a slit or a hole as indicated at 38. The slit or hole however, is confined to the limits of the extremity of the insert and does not extend through the side walls ll thereof. It will be observed that the wall of the insert is solid at 33 at opposite ends of the slit or hole 38. The slit or hole 38 may be shaped in any suitable section for defining the cross section of the material which is extruded from the container. The material of the insert is yieldable at the extremity, allowing ejection of the contents of the container when the rotatable member is moved to a position corresponding to the position illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings. The slit or hole 38 may be closed when the rotatable member is moved to a position in which the internal annular face thereof positively forces the side walls of the insert to closed position in a manner corresponding to that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6. The overhanging peripheral edge 9 at the extremity of the insert serves as has already been described in connection with Figs. 1-7 for preventing loss of the rotatable member M as the member I is moved to the opposite limiting positions.

While we have described preferred embodiments of our invention, we realize that other modifications may be made and no limitations upon our invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A closure for containers comprising in combination with a collapsible tube-like container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of said container having an opening therein aligned with the threaded neck of said container, an insertable member engageable internally of the neck of the container, said insertable member being slitted in one end for receiving through a hollow bore material from said container, the side portions of said insertable member being shaped to coact with complementary shaped faces in the opening of said rotatable member whereby the slitted portion of said insertable member may be forced to closed position.

2. A closure for containers comprising in combination a container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member having screw threads therein engageable with the threaded neck of said container and having an opening registering with the axis of said threaded neck, with the inner walls of the opening diverging upwardly, an

insertable member .engaged within the neck of said container and projecting therefrom, thepro- ,iecting end of said insertable member being slitted for the passage of material extruded from said container. and said insertable member having walls complementary in shape to the shape of the annular face of said rotatable member and en'- gageable therewith as said rotatable member ,is revolved for positively closing the slitted end of said insertable member.

3. A closure for containers comprising in combination with a container for paste-like material having a screw threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threaded neck and having an aperture registrable with the mouth of the neck with a substantially cam shaped annular face disposed interiorly of the rotatable member, and an insertable member engageable in the neck of said container and projecting beyond the neck thereof and through the opening in said rotatable member, said insertable member being slitted for the ejection of the paste-like material from said container and having a pre-iorrned external wall structure coacting with the cam shaped face of said rotatable member, whereby the slitted end of said insertable member may be forced to closed position by movement of said rotatable member.

4. A container having a tubular end portion, screw threads formed on said tubular end portion in a position spaced from the extremity of the end portion, the end portion beyond the threads having the wall structure thereof decreasing in diameter in the directionof the extremity thereof to provide a curved wall, the extremity of the end portion being slitted for dispensing the contents of the container, and a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads on said end portion, said rotatable member having an annularly arranged internal face complementary to the curved wall of said end portion for positively forcing the slitted end portion of said container into intimate closed connection.

5. A container having a tubular end portion, screw threads formed on said tubular end portion in a position spaced from the extremity of the end portion, the end portion beyond the threads having the wall structure thereof decreasing in diameter in the direction of the extremity thereof to provide a curved wall, theextremity of the end portion being divided into a pair of Jaw-like portions shiftable from a separated position to an intimately closed position, and a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads on said end portion, said rotatable member having an annularly disposed face complementary to the curved wall of the end portion for positively forcing the Jaw-like portions of the end portion into intimate closed connection.

6. A container having a tubular end portion, screw threads formed on said tubular end portion in a position spaced from-the extremity of the .end portion, the end portion beyond the threads having the wall structure thereof decreasing in diameter in the direction of the extremity thereof to provide a curved wall, the extremity of the end portion being slotted for dispensing the contents of the container, and a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads on the end portion, said rotatable member having an annularly arranged internal face complementary to the curved wall of said end portion for positively forcing the slotted end portion of said container into intimate closed connection, and opposite limiting stops on said end portion forming abutments for said rotatable member in either of the limiting positions thereof;

7. A closure for containers comprising in combination with a container having' a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of saidcontainer having an opening therein aligned with the. threaded neck of said container, an insertable member engageable internally of the neck of the container, said insertable member being slitted in one end for receiving through a hollow bore material from said container, an annular flange formed on said insertable member and adapted to be supported by the periphery of the threaded neck of said container, the side portions of said insertable member being shaped to coact with an annular complementary shaped face arranged interiorly of said rotatable member, whereby the slitted portion of said insertable member may be forced to closed position. I

8. A closure for containers comprising in combination with a container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of said container having an opening therein aligned with the threaded neck of said container, an insertable member formed from yieldable material and engageable internally of the neck of the container, said insertable member being slitted in the extremity thereof for receiving through a hollow bore material from said container, the side walls of said yieldable insertable member being shaped to coact with an annular complementary shaped face internally of said rotatable member whereby the slitted portion of said insertable member may be forced to closed position.

9. Aclosure for containers comprising in combination with a container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of said container having an opening therein aligned with the threaded neck of said container, an insertable member formed from rubber and including a screw threaded portion engageable internally of the neck of the container, a transverse flange portion supportable upon the periphery of the neck of the container, and a slitted end portion including a retaining edge forming a limiting abutment for said rotatable member and a curved wall extending between said retaining edge and said transverse flange, said curved wall being shaped to coact with a complementary shaped'annular face internally of said rotatable member, whereby the slitted portion of said insertable member may be forced to closed position.

10. A closure for containers comprising in combination with a container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of said container having an opening therein aligned with the threaded neck of said container, a tubular metallic member insertable into the neck of the container and j of said container, a tubular metallic member engageable with respect to the neck of the container and including a transverse flange supported by the periphery of the neck of the container, and a slotted extremity having shaped side portions coacting with a complementary annular face in said rotatable member whereby the slotted portions of said lnsertable member may be forced to closed position.

12. A closure for containers comprising in combinatlon with a container having a threaded neck, a rotatable member engaged with the screw threads of the neck of said container having an opening therein aligned with the threaded neck 15 of said container, a tubular metallic member engageable in the neck of the container and including a transverse flange supported by the periphery of the neck of the container, and an end portion projecting beyond theneck of the container, said end portion having a peripheral projection thereon forming a limiting abutment for said rotatable member, said end portion being slitted for the delivery oi! material from said container, the. side walls of said end portion being shaped to coact with a complementary shaped annular face internally of said rotatable member, whereby the slitted portion of said insert- I able member may be forced to closed position.

HELEN P. LEWIS. WALTER S. LEWIS. 

